Alec Helmke

Alec has been passionate about aviation ever since he developed an interest in World War Two. While studying this historic conflict, he was inspired by the stories of courageous pilots who fought to protect our nation. Alec earned his Private Pilots License at age 17 and flies Cessna 152s and 172s out of Middleton/Morey Airport in Wisconsin. Aside from using his license to explore and to spend time with friends and family, Alec also hopes to pursue tailwheel and instrument training and thus, grow into a more experienced and capable pilot.

I sat in the complex glass cockpit and looked over an array of instruments which I had no idea how to interpret. This was the most advanced and expensive aircraft I had ever been in, but I was not the pilot. In fact, to reach this point, I had flown in an aircraft many consider the archetype of simplicity…

It had been just four months since I climbed out of the plane with the beaming smile on my face that proved I was certified private pilot. At age 17, it truly seemed unreal to me. Nevertheless, today was the day, and a beautiful day at that, for the longest cross country flight of my young career.

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Air Facts was first published in 1938 by Leighton Collins, dedicated to “the development of private air transportation.” It’s a different world now, and it’s a different Air Facts. Relaunched in 2011 as an online journal, Air Facts still champions, educates, informs and entertains pilots worldwide with real-world flying experiences.

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